Gregorio del Pilar

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gregorio del Pilar (born November 14, 1875 , † December 2, 1899 ) was the youngest and often pictorially circumscribed general of the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War . He was referred to as a "boy general" because of his youth and is considered one of the national heroes of the Philippines .

Del Pila, the youngest general in the Revolutionary Army at the age of 24, fought valiantly against American troops during the Philippine-American War . On December 2, 1899 he was killed as commanding officer of Emilio Aguinaldo's rearguard at the Tirad Pass .

That is why he was remembered by the people as the hero of the Tirad Pass and earned the respect of an officer and gentleman from the opposing Americans.

biography

Gregorio del Pilar was born on November 14, 1875 to Fernando H. del Pilar and Felipa Sempio from San Jose del Monte in Bulacan . He was a nephew of the propagandists Marcelo H. del Pilar and Toribio del Pilar, who were exiled to Guam in 1872 for their involvement in a mutiny in Cavite .

"Goyong", as he was commonly known, enrolled as a young man in the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, the University of Manila, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1896 at the age of 20 . When the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule broke out in August of that year under the leadership of Andrés Bonifacio , del Pilar quickly decided to join this movement. He soon distinguished himself in the field as a commander in the fight against the Spanish garrison in Bulacan .

He was a companion of General Emilio Aguinaldo , who immediately gained control of the movement and finally emigrated into exile from Biak-na-Bato to Hong Kong after the ceasefire had been granted . There he became a member of the Hong Kong Committee . After regaining control of the Philippine Revolution, General Aguinaldo directed Del Pilar to command the revolutionary forces in the Bulacan and Nueva Ecija areas .

On June 1, Del Pilar landed in Bulacan armed with weapons from Hong Kong and managed to besiege the Spanish troops in that province. After the Spaniards surrendered to Del Pilar, he immediately brought his troops to Caloocan and Manila to support the local revolutionary groups in their struggle.

When the Philippine-American War broke out in February 1899, it led his men to a minor victory over Major Franklin Bell at the Battle of Quingua on April 23, 1899, in which his forces successfully repelled a cavalry attack, with the highly decorated Colonel John M. Stotsenburg was killed. ( Clark Air Base was previously called Fort Stotsenburg ).

As a 24 year old boy general , he led a 60 man strong Filipino rearguard into the battle of Tirad Pass against the Texas Regiment , the 33rd Infantry Regiment of the United States Volunteer Army. The aim of the fight was to secure General Aguinaldo's retreat and to delay the advance of the American units. The confrontation ended after more than five hours of fighting with the deaths of almost all Filipinos involved, including del Pilars, who was shot in the neck. (Whether he was killed during the climax or towards the end of the fighting cannot be clearly established by eyewitnesses.)

Del Pilar's body was not buried until two days after the fight. On the way back with his troops, the American officer Lt. Dennis P. Quinlan recovered the body of del Pilar and allowed him to be buried in the tradition of the US military. On the headstone he had the words engraved: An officer and a gentleman.

Before his death, Del Pilar wrote the following sentences in his diary:

“The general (Aguinaldo) put the best men he could spare at my disposal and instructed me to defend the pass. I realize what an incredibly difficult task I was given. And now I feel that this is the most glorious moment in my life. What I do is done for my beloved country. No sacrifice can be too big. "

Further information

  • Fort Del Pilar, home of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City, is named after him.
  • In 1930 his body was exhumed and identified by the gold teeth and braces that were made for him in Hong Kong during his exile.
  • In 1955, the autonomously administered municipality of Concepcion in the province of Ilocos Sur was named in honor of Gregorio del Pilar.
  • A national monument was erected in his honor at the Tirad Pass.
  • The Navy of the Philippines operates a warship under the name "Gregorio del Pilar". It is considered to be the largest ship in the Philippine Navy.

credentials

  • Zaide, Gregorio F .: Philippine History and Government . National Bookstore Printing Press, 1984.
  • History of the Filipino People. Teodoro A. Agoncillo

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Pilar, Gregorio del
BRIEF DESCRIPTION General of the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War
DATE OF BIRTH November 14, 1875
DATE OF DEATH December 2, 1899